Monday 28 December 2009

It's all in the preparation for
successful New Year's resolutions!

As we prepare to say “so long” to 2009, the vast majority of us are thinking about resolutions to make as we welcome in 2010. To be sure, this is a time of year when we make all kinds of promises to ourselves. But how many of us will move into 2011 having accomplished those goals? Well, according to the experts, very few indeed.

So, this week I would like to offer some food for thought before we finalise our New Year’s resolutions.

In my Intuitive Life Coaching, I regularly work with people who previously have tried and failed to do something in their lives which they consider very important to them. These are people who say that they really, really want this or that in their lives. And while they have been able to accomplish other things, they have a goal that until now has seemed for some reason out of their reach. Why?

In my experience, one reason we fail at succeeding in achieving goals is that we focus on the negative instead of the positive. Two very common goals are to stop smoking or to lose weight. But I encourage a slightly different stance.

Instead of focusing on what you don’t want, adopt another approach. Concentrate on what you want. Ask yourself what life would be like if you were free from cigarettes or were fit and trim at your ideal body weight. Paint a picture in your mind’s eye of this and make it so vivid that you can summon it up simply and instantly.

But of course, there’s more to it than just vivid visualisation. Like it or not, the name of the game is hard work. Yes, if it weren’t so hard, we’d have already done it. And this is the crunch point. This is when you need to do some soul searching.

Ask yourself what you’re going to have to do to cross that finish line. Are you prepared for the steps required? Do you have the courage to take that first step and the next and then the one after that? Get serious with yourself. And if you find yourself responding with an immediate and automatic yes, then I suggest you dig deeper to really challenge yourself.

Here’s a tip. Consider what you could do during the course of one single day to advance yourself closer to your goal. What would it take during one twenty-four-hour period to get you just that little bit closer to your goal? Could you do that? And what would it feel like if you did? What benefits to your self-image and self-esteem would you experience?

Another technique I have found invaluable is to keep focused only on what you can do right now. Don’t focus on never smoking again but rather stay centred on the benefits of being liberated from cigarettes for the next hour – and then the next. In other words, run that marathon by taking it each step at a time.

It’s also important to prevent yourself from forgetting your resolution. That might sound strange, but you’d be surprised by how many of us simply fall into old patterns for no other reason than it had slipped our minds that we were trying to do something else. Some people like to create boards on which they represent their goals with collages of images to remind them of the changes they are trying to make. But for others, a simple note stuck to the computer monitor or slipped in their wallet is enough to serve as a regular reminder.

Most of all, it’s absolutely essential that we remember that we’re only human. So, don’t expect superhuman feats. In other words, it’s natural to fall off that wagon every now and again. It’s my experience that those who are the most successful at setting goals for themselves are the ones who can pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get back up on that horse. If/when this happens, don’t think it means that you’re incapable of achieving. Instead, look at it as a momentary and temporary glitch. It’s nothing more than isolated setback.

In a few nights we’ll be raising our glasses to toast the arrival of 2010. If you’re going to join those in making a New Year’s resolution or if you’re just keen to accomplish something that you’ve always wanted to, I encourage you to consider the tips and experience I have to offer for your success.

Some of us are disciplined to do this kind of work on our own. Others need the guiding hand of someone else, who can keep them focused on the choices and challenges along the way.

Every day I work with clients who have chosen to empower themselves to make the changes that they need to live a healthier and more authentic life. Through my Intuitive Life Coaching I provide one-on-one sessions to guide and inspire my clients to do it for themselves, whereas my Medical Intuitive Readings help identify the spiritual issues underlying illness. If you are ready to accept that challenge and behold the awesome potential of your own powerhouse, then let’s get started today!

And don’t forget about my Journey to Power forums. Please join me there and let me hear what you have to say on what I’ve written here. I look forward to your postings!

Finally, this week over at PsychicBridges, I recognise the human tendency to look back this time of year. But it's just as natural to look forward and wonder what's coming for us in the year ahead. Read my article here!

I always welcome your thoughts and feedback on IntuitiveBridges, so let me hear from you by clicking here.

Until next week,

Kindest regards,

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